I first heard about The Curse when I saw them open for the Bouncing Souls last April. The first thing thing I noticed when I saw them take the stage was that the singer was wearing a Strike Anywhere shirt. This is a plus in my book. They proceeded to play the only songs they had written for about 15 minutes and they completely blew me away.

In hearing about The Curse, you'll hear comparisons to Kid Dynamite, Trial By Fire, Strike Anywhere, and the like, which are fair comparisons, but this EP, as compared to their six-song demo, shows them growing within that genre. They still maintain that hardcore influence, while adding more of a catchy, singalong aspect to their sound, which manages to enhance the sound without taking away from the fury of the EP, whose six tracks clock in at hardly nine minutes.

Lyrical content ranges from lessons learned about life to political discontent, and the gritty vocals really bring out the feeling in these songs.

My only complaint is how short it is, but considering this was recorded within a year of the band's formation, I'm impressed that they could release such a solid bunch of songs. This is a great disc to kick off what looks to be an exciting year in music.